February Sale in my Cabinet of Curiosities Shop...Buy One Get One Free

Buy One Get One Free on my You Print Digital Images. Regular Price is $3.00. Buy one and list in remarks section in invoice the name of the second image you want me to send. ( I'll even give my blog readers a jump start for today...just mention my blog and tell me the free digital image you want me to send with your purchase:)

These are mostly high resolution digital files of vintage images that will print up to a 12 x18. They are intended for use in your scrap booking, or doing detail drawings of botanical and biological images. The files are large enough that you can crop the individual elements to use in your art work.

I will send these as individual digital files to your email of record with Etsy..unless you note otherwise.

Hope you will stop buy and see what is available...I promise you will not be disappointed with the visit. Be sure to click on the detail images and click again to get the real up close view.

I also have digital files for sale that are my original artwork for scrapbook papers. Top image is a detail of one of these images. These are also included in the buy one, get one free. You can mix and match. Your wish is my command!!

Such a Treasure I have bought...Thank You Steph!!!

I am so excited about my new treasure. A photo can not do it justice. Made by Steph at http://vladthebatsattic.blogspot.com/, I knew the moment I saw it, that I had to have it! Not like me at all!! But because Steph was donating all her proceeds from the sell of this and one other necklace to Doctors Without Borders I did not hesitate...also unlike me:)

The stunning focal art bead is by Lucinda at http://lucindastorms.blogspot.com/.
You can find her lovelies at her Etsy shop... www.curiousoldthings.etsy.com, and
www. belvedere.etsy.com. This bead begs to be touched...and I have had so many compliments already on it's unique beauty...in just one day:)

There is still one more offering to help the victims in Haiti in Steph's shop...www.vLaDtHeBaT.etsy.com...why don't you take a look...you may find you can not live with out this treasure. These are not stones...they are polymer clay, what talent!

I find that I am beginning to collect Steph's work...this is my third piece:) And she always sends such eclectic extras...Belgium Chocolates last time!

Steph...I can't begin tell you how wonderful this necklace is, and how special I think you are for your generosity. You are a kind soul....I am honored to have helped in a very small way!

ONE WORLD ...ONE HEART...A Magic Carpet Ride Around the Art Blog World...and a chance to Win Free Gifts as well!

WHAT IS ONE WORLD ONE HEART?

Lisa Swifke, creator of the Blog "A Whimsical Bohemian" say this about this years event..."I created this event in 2007. The original idea behind this giveaway event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way. 2007 had roughly 85-90 participants and many connections were made because of it......friendships that are still going strong. We had a strong showing the first year for sure, and then in 2008 we had just about tripled that number. In 2009 there were 911 participants, to say I was amazed is an understatement. 28 countries were represented in the 2009 event as well. This is more than wanting to win something.......that is only the means.......in the end it's about finding kindred spirits. Someone who may be fairly new to blogging, not sure how to navigate, find others and have others find them....

This is an INTERNATIONAL event that has and had participants from the US, Canada, France, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Malaysia, Brazil, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, England,Wales, Slovenia and more. It transcends geographical location, socio economics, political affiliation, religious beliefs......it's a coming together like the giant community we are on this planet.

If only it took a simple giveaway to create PEACE everywhere, in the mean time here we give from our hearts. We are not solving the worlds problems nor are we curing anything nor are we changing the world. We are merely generating a closer community between humans through blogging. What more could I ask for, my little idea has surpassed my wildest dreams of what it could become."



What a wonderful idea and I am honored to participate this year. I hope those of you who view and enter will find a treasure trove of ideas, new blogs to follow, and most of all...new friends of the same mind and spirit as your self! And...you may be a winner where ever your magic carpet takes you!!

To participate in this years event I am offering two give away items. The first name drawn will win an original design Raku necklace with hand dyed silk ribbon. The second name drawn will win an Ernst Haeckel copyright free high resolution digital image that will be emailed to you for use in your creative endeavors.

Remember when you were a child listening to the Arabian Nights being read, or watching your children or grandchildren view Disney's Aladdin? Remember the magic of your mind...pretending to fly over the desert, or over the seas...where ever your heart desired, your magic carpet would take you? Such a foundation for imagination and creation as a young child...and even now if you set your mind free of adult worries and dream...daydream....

First Prize....The Hand of Fatima has long been used to ward off Evil and protect the wearer. Khamsa, the five fingered hand is one of the most popular icons used in Morocco. This Raku necklace is my original design carved from a soft plasticine clay. A mold was made for use with ceramic Raku clay. It comes with a 30 inch long hand dyed silk ribbon by my friend Flo of QueensCreekSupply.etsy.com

Second Prize...is a High Resolution digital copy of an Ernst Haeckel botanical print....Orchaide. This is fantastic for textures and themes for scrapbook pages, or intricate drawing studies. I have even used it for textures for the PMC tearaway process. This is an image that YOU print on your own media. A digital file is sent to you via email and you print on paper of your choosing to a size of your choosing. This digital file is large enough that it can be printed up to a 12x18 with out loosing detail.

I wish each and everyone of you luck in this drawing and luck in each drawing you enter on your Magic Carpet Ride. It would please me if you would become a follower of my blog...but it is not necessary. All you must do is leave a comment here on this blog post, and leave me a way to contact you if your name is drawn and leave a link to your blog. Remember you have two chances to win!! Good Luck!!

The lucky winners names will be drawn February 14 at 11:59pm EST and posted before midnight February 15th.

If you want to participate with your blog, follow the links from the One World, One Heart button above.

Swedish Artist and Esty Seller Lejonklou

I have been working with Birgitta on a couple of projects trying to design special elongated hearts and larger wings for pendants. I so enjoy the process of working long distance, and the communications between artists from other countries. Everyone is so kind to work in English and has so much patience with me as we try to finalize the details for their projects. Birgitta is a dream to work with! And I love her art and how she uses her talent to bring comfort to those who wear her designs.

From Birgitta's Etsy profile...she says of herself...

Working with beads and jewelry is easy to become an addiction
I love to let my creativity and healing energy flow into some designs that hopefully will be used by someone who loves wearing it as much as I love creating it.

I LOVE to work with all different materials that mother nature is offering us and some more....so my home is filled with beauties hanging on the walls (strings of pearls and gems and lampwork and crystal and .....stuffed in my drawers -just waiting for me to hold them and use them
and the result will show up here- well at least some of it..

You can find her Etsy shop here...http://www.etsy.com/shop/lejonklou

Top two photos are from Birgitta's Etsy shop. The third and fourth photos audition two of my new designs and the bottom photo features Birgitta's incorporation of one of my raku wings in a bracelet. Isn't it lovely!!!

What an Honor....I was Selected Artist of the Day at Musing About Mud

Carol Epp's blog is a great place to keep up with what is going on in the pottery world. And the photo above shows what a talented artist she is as well! http://musingaboutmud.blogspot.com/2009/12/artist-of-day-dorcas-midkiff.html

From jobs, to museum exhibitions, to applications to enter contests or be published all things pottery can be found here! I am so in love with this blog. Because of her blog I took courage to enter my Medusa's Sister for placement in Lark Books' 500 Raku. Time will tell if my work is published. But no matter, it was a learning experience and next attempt will find me better armed to fight the publishing fight!

And now I am honored to be one of Carol's Artists of the Day for the Month of December.
Stop by and leave a comment if you like and read my humble attempt at an interview!

Carol is of course a fellow Etsian...visit her shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/caroleepp

My Golden Dreams Treasury Capture

Treasuries are so much fun to do! All the colors and textures to choose from ...and you get to honor your friends works for all to see for a few hours. Here are some of my very favorite artists and some new artists that I love to browse their shops. Enjoy the time in my golden dream!!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=77448

Goodie, Goodie!!! New Photos of Amazing Felted Art using my Raku Buttons

Received photos to day of two truly amazing felted collars that are a work of art unto themselves. That you can wear this art makes them that much more special! Jane, whose shop is at JaneBoFelt.etsy.com, creates gorgeous work with natural and other fibers from her home in Moscow, Russia. You absolutely much visit her online shop! Such work...a feast for the eyes! My favorite is the colorful made to order Felted scarf/shawl called Orange Burst.

We had such lovely communication during the buying process. And I love how she has incorporated my raku buttons in her work! Please take time to visit her shop. Tell her I said hello!

You can fine these lovelies at the following links:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35327523
http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=21124746
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=31153876 (Orange burst)

Enjoy my friends!!!

I'm into Treasurys Today!!

These treasuries are just to lovely to let fade into the Etsy Ether ...I do have inclusions in each which drew my attention...but are they not just fabulous!!! The guests work is original and colorful...and please check out the curators shops as well. The links to each page are following...hurry, as you know they disappear all too soon!!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=76009
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=94812
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=94975

Have fun...I certain did!

In the Wings of the Scarab Treasury by erraticneedle.etsy.com

Erraticneedle of Etsy included one of my Scarab Pendants in her treasury...this was such an outstanding treasury, I wanted to feature it in my blog. Just beautiful in color and composition! You must stop by her shop to see her wonderful needle work....as is seen in the above work...eratticneedle.etsy.com

Treasury can be found at http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=93409

What do you think? More color or leave as is? Or Much Ado About Nothing?

A challenge from my friend and pottery teacher, Suzon Martin, resulted in this creation. "Here", she says, "take this lump of earthenware clay and see what you can do with it." After a three year sabbatical from class, I was nervous to try anything larger than the raku jewlery pieces I had been creating to sell on Etsy. A prompt was necessary to get me away from the small raku pieces.

I am not a wheel potter. I fashion with my hands and roll slabs of clay to make my pottery. This piece is a slab draped to follow the contours of a bowl I had on hand. I took a walk in my yard and grabbed a couple of different kinds of leaves that happened to be close and started impressing these in the clay to form a background for the three dimensional work.

Another thin rolled slab let me impress, cut, then attach more life like leaves to the still wet clay in the bowl. I work wet...less scoring and magic water application that way. I seem to be more spontaneous that way.

Dragonfly's and a beetle or two and I have taken a perfectly functional form and made it unusable! Can't say why I have the need to clutter up a piece of pottery...it is just what the muse has me do!

I imagined a goldfish bowl? A bowl filled with water to float a votive? A bowl to float my favorite Gardenia blossoms in? Something fanciful?

Now, my dilemma is this... I imagined lots of color in the leaves and flowers against a natural background. The raku muse wanted this bowl...but the clay can not be rakued. I put a wash of white under glaze on the elements, thinking I could layer color later. In a change of mind and taking the under glaze off...the details of each leaf and creature began to pop. So, with the encouragement of teacher and fellow students...it has been fired with a simple clear glaze over the details of the leaves and creatures.

Should I fire again with vivid blues, reds and greens against the earthenware red, or leave well enough alone? That is the question! Should I make another in a raku clay to get those glorious iridescent colors I like so well and leave this one alone? Perhaps it should be all white glaze with the red earthenware showing in distressed areas? Look at the close ups in close up again to see the detail.

Too many options...just can't make the decision....help!!! What do you think about it ...as is?? The bowl measures 11 inches in diameter and is 3 1/2 inches deep. Is this much ado about nothing?